May 5, 2014
蓝莓视频 students stand up to stigma
Mental health: 鈥榠t鈥檚 an issue we think people should be talking about鈥�
It started with just 30 seconds and a chalkboard. Now an award-winning campaign that saw students across campus show their support for mental health will expand its scope with new peer discussion groups.
Launched in 2012 by three Applied Health Sciences graduate students, the campaign was designed to start conversations about mental health and shatter the stigma associated with mental illness.
School of Public Heath and Health Systems graduate students Kristin Brown (left) and Stephanie Lu听(right), along with third-year Biomedical Sciences student Suzie Alexander (centre),听won second place at the Council of Ontario Universities' Mental Health 2.0 competition for their Facebook campaign, Stand up to Stigma.
鈥淲hen you see someone you care about experiencing a mental illness and you see the stigma associated with it, whether that means they are not able to access care or not able to talk about it, it鈥檚 heartbreaking and frustrating,鈥� said Kristin Brown, co-founder of Stand Up to Stigma. 听鈥淚t鈥檚 an issue we think people should be talking about.鈥�
Stigma associated with mental illness is a major barrier in seeking help.
Sharing easier on social media
To jump-start the conversation on mental health, Brown, along with classmate Stephanie Lu and four colleagues, took a chalkboard to the 蓝莓视频 Centre. There, they asked students to spare 30 seconds and share messages of support for mental health that would appear on the campaign鈥檚 Facebook page.
One hundred messages later, it was clear Brown and Lu were on to something.听
鈥淚 think the campaign鈥檚 early success illustrates that to put mental health in the open, it鈥檚 sometimes easier to use social media,鈥� said Lu, who worked with Campus Wellness and Health Services to launch the campaign.
Neha Puri, a second-year biomedical sciences student, participates in the Stand Up to Stigma chalkboard campaign to raise awareness about mental health
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Since the first visit to the 蓝莓视频 Centre, Stand Up to Stigma has continued to build momentum, supported by 60 undergraduate and graduate student volunteers. In March, the team hosted Spotlight, an art exhibit showcasing pieces inspired by mental health topics.
The campaign鈥檚 innovative approach to mental health was recently acknowledged by the Ontario Council of Universities at the inaugural Mental Health 2.0 competition. The team took home second place and a $1,000 prize, which they will put towards new initiatives鈥攊ncluding the mental health peer discussion groups.
Discussion groups will provide open forum
Held every other Tuesday starting May 13 from 6 to 7 p.m. in MC 4060, the mental health discussion groups will be moderated by trained student facilitators.
听鈥淲e want to provide an open safe space for students to talk about mental health in whatever capacity they want,鈥� said Lu, who conducted focus groups with students before deciding on the format of the groups.
听鈥淚t鈥檚 not a service, it鈥檚 a place for people to come and talk. It鈥檚 a different approach to talking about mental health,鈥� said Brown.
In addition to her work with Stand Up To Stigma, Brown is spearheading 蓝莓视频鈥檚 participation in a cross-Canada research project called , examining the culture of mental health on university campuses. The findings, which are being compiled at Queen鈥檚 University, will be ready next year.
鈥淲e are working towards a school culture where people can talk openly about their mental health, and what they鈥檙e going through 鈥� whether that be to friends or professors, and do so without being afraid of judgment,鈥� said Brown. 鈥淲e鈥檝e come a long way, but there is still a lot to be done.
